Lagos, Nigeria — 21 January 2026 — Interswitch, Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce company, has announced its return as the headline sponsor of the InnovateAI Conference for the third consecutive year, reaffirming its commitment to building resilient, trusted digital infrastructure for Africa’s evolving economy.
The third edition of the InnovateAI Conference is scheduled to take place on Friday, February 20, 2026, at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, and is expected to attract over 10,000 participants across physical and virtual platforms.
Themed “Responsible AI, Beyond Innovation,” the conference comes at a defining moment for Nigeria and the continent, as artificial intelligence increasingly underpins critical systems across finance, governance, healthcare, education, and security.
Reinforcing this position, Mitchell Elegbe, Group Managing Director and Founder, Interswitch will deliver the conference’s headline keynote address, focusing on the “Infrastructure of Trust” required for Africa to thrive in an AI-driven future. His session will open the main stage and set the tone for discussions around responsible innovation, cybersecurity, data intelligence, and sustainable value creation.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Elegbe emphasised the importance of trust as the foundation of technological progress. He said:
“As AI becomes embedded in the systems that power our economies and societies, trust is no longer optional, it is the infrastructure. Africa’s opportunity lies not just in adopting AI, but in building regulated, revenue-generating systems that are secure, ethical, and inclusive. At Interswitch, we believe responsible AI must align innovation with cybersecurity, data intelligence, and strong governance to mitigate emerging risks while expanding access and prosperity for all.”
As a company deeply embedded in Africa’s financial ecosystem, Interswitch’s participation underscores the need to move beyond experimentation with artificial intelligence to building systems that are secure, ethical, regulated, and trusted at scale. Over the years, the company has played a pivotal role in strengthening payment infrastructure, safeguarding digital transactions, and enabling inclusive economic participation, priorities that are now central to the national AI conversation.
InnovateAI Conference 2026 will convene policymakers, regulators, global technology partners, investors, startups, enterprises, researchers, and young African talent to examine real-world AI applications and their potential to redefine Nigeria’s future.
Sessions will explore how intelligent technologies can drive economic growth, improve service delivery, enhance competitiveness, and support sustainable development, while addressing the ethical, regulatory, and safety considerations that accompany rapid adoption.
By headlining the conference for the third consecutive year, Interswitch continues to position itself as a leading voice in shaping Africa’s digital future, championing conversations that balance innovation with responsibility, scale with security, and technology with trust.
